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PICKS are stories from many sources, selected by our editors or recommended by our readers because they are important, surprising, troubling, enlightening, inspiring, or amusing. They appear on our site and in our daily newsletter. Please send suggested articles, videos, podcasts, etc. to picks@whowhatwhy.org.
Plant Behavior Demonstrates Possible Key to Human Survival: Botanist (Maria)
The author writes, “Plants are so incredibly cooperative with one another because cooperation is the most efficient way to grant the survival of species. Not understanding the strength of the community is one of [humanity’s] main errors. There was a very clever evolutionary biologist at the beginning of the last century, Peter Kropotkin, who said that when there are fewer resources, and the environment is changing, then cooperation is vastly more efficient [than competition]. This is an important teaching for us today.”
DeSantis Threatens Disney With Prison. The Wheels Have Come Off (Dana)
From the Orlando Sentinel: “With Ron DeSantis dropping in the presidential polls and billionaire donors abandoning his campaign, Florida’s governor came to Orlando this week desperate to make a splash. Boy, did he. First, he threatened to build a state prison near Disney’s theme parks. … But DeSantis wasn’t done. After warning that he could place a correctional facility next to the state’s No. 1 tourist attraction (take that, Visit Florida), he also threatened to impose stricter ride-safety standards. That’s right, the ultimate smackdown that Team DeSantis came up with in its war on wokeism was to threaten … um … reasonable safety and transparency measures to protect the public.”
Oklahoma Governor Calls for Resignations After County Officials Reportedly Discussed Killing Journalists, Hanging Black People (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has called for the McCurtain County sheriff and multiple county officials to resign after leaked audio showed the county leaders discussing killing local reporters and lynching Black people. … In a series of audio clips and transcripts released by the print-only newspaper, the county leaders begin with a discussion of a fire that killed Dannette Stoewe, 43, after she ran back inside a burning building to rescue her dogs. In graphic detail, Clardy explains the county wrapped Stoewe’s body ‘up in tinfoil to preserve the body and stuff like that.’ The discussion then delves into a joke about starting a barbecue.”
Sorry Everyone, but Clarence Thomas Can Take Undisclosed Money From Whomever He Wants and There Is Little To Be Done About It (Sean)
From Insider: “Supreme Court justices, who are appointed to life terms and are among the most powerful people in the country, face few challenges to their positions and little discipline for missteps, experts said. … Similar to the process of impeaching a president, a Supreme Court justice can only be removed from the bench if a simple majority of the House of Representatives first votes to impeach, and then, two-thirds of the Senate, a supermajority, votes to convict.”
Look Out, California: One of the Country’s Largest Solar Arrays Is Taking Shape in… Illinois? (Laura)
The author writes, “A 593-megawatt project has begun construction near Springfield and will power O’Hare Airport and Chicago government buildings… [It] is indicative of several trends in solar power, as projects grow ever larger and are built in places that get much less sun than the southwest. The developer, Swift Current Energy of Boston, is building the project to meet demand from corporations and local governments aiming to meet clean energy goals.”
‘Death to Christian’: Violence Steps Up Under New Israeli Government (Mili)
From Al Jazeera, “Christian leaders in Jerusalem say never have Israeli attackers felt more emboldened than under the far-right ruling coalition.”
I-5 Driver in Oregon Throws Money Out Window to ‘Bless’ People With Cash (Reader Steve)
From The Oregonian: “Oregon’s wet April rained more than water [last week] when 38-year-old Colin Davis McCarthy threw handfuls of $100 bills outside his car window on Interstate 5 in Eugene, according to Oregon State Police. Troopers located his car and warned him against littering and creating potential hazards for other drivers. McCarthy, who is from Eugene, agreed to stop throwing cash, but not before he had already tossed out thousands of dollars, according to an estimate by law enforcement.”
